Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the Minister's comments on Department staff and officials. We all dreaded what 1 January would bring. Thankfully, while we are here discussing problems, it has not caused huge market turbulence yet. We have to recognise that fact. We are trying to overcome difficulties that a Brexit deal was bound to impose on us.

I will raise a number of matters before I open up the floor to other members. Mixed milk is particularly problematic. For one or more of our processors, it is a major issue. A huge amount of some of our processors' milk originates in Northern Ireland. Over 60% of one of our major processors' milk comes from Northern Ireland. The Minister talked about trade agreements and said processors could incur tariffs under EU trade agreements with third countries. We had turbulence in the marketplace and aids to private storage, APS, were needed, as was our intervention. How would that work for Northern Ireland milk? In reality, it is impossible for some of these processors to segregate their product. Is there a solution to this? Northern Ireland milk has traditionally come to the Republic to be processed and the investment has been made in the South. It is a very significant investment indeed. While I understand the problem that is there today, what are the market supports, and have we a possible solution to this scenario? Segregating our milk for these processors is not an option.